Alim Shukur, Vice President of Changji University

The other day, the former US Secretary of State Pompeo smeared that Xinjiang committed “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” against Uygur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. His ill intention was to sow discord in ethnic relations in Xinjiang, undermine its prosperity and stability, contain China’s development, and gain some political capital. This is a naked double standard under the pretext of protecting human rights, trying to smear and demonize Xinjiang, seriously hurting feelings of Chinese people including people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. I strongly condemn and firmly oppose to his remarks.

I was born and raised in Xinjiang and I work here. The CPC and the people have nurtured me. In 1987, after graduating from college, I started working in Changji University. Under the care of the leadership, support of the colleagues, I have become the vice president of the university from an ordinary teacher. During that period, I witnessed the unprecedented changes in Xinjiang. I can feel very well that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, Xinjiang has made many accomplishments in consistent economic development, social stability, livelihood improvement, and religious harmony. People of all ethnic groups support each other in unity, embracing tightly one another like seeds of pomegranate. Xinjiang has never been so prosperous in its history.

During my work in southern Xinjiang, I saw government’s big support to southern Xinjiang. Students there study for free. Dropout rate for minority students is at a low level that you don’t see kids lying around on the rural streets any more. Children are the hope and future of family. All school-age kids of different ethnic groups have free access to education. I can see how warm and happy they are to live in the embrace of the motherland. From 2016, ethnic unity in Xinjiang has consolidated, ethnic interaction and exchange has strengthened. In the beginning, when we first visited our “paired-up families”, we couldn’t communicate with them because of language barrier; but now there is no such barrier. Their kids have good command of Chinese to be our “translator” and “helper”. Language is the key bridge of communication. Changji University has set up stereoscopic national standard language teaching system. General curriculum of “Literature” is provided to minority students, aiming to improve their standard national language command, facilitating their academic performance and employment so that students’ poverty-stricken families in southern Xinjiang can shake off poverty, raising their sense of gain and happiness.

In recent years, Changji University has been enlarging by scale. Before 2018, the total number of students was around 8000; but till 2020, the number grew to 25000 or so. The proportion of ethnic minority students, esp. Uygur students increased significantly. These minority students value their study here very much; they look forward to going back to their hometown to serve the people after graduation. Some of our graduates often keep in touch with us. They are very confident about the CPC’s ethnic minority policy; they are excited about the outcome of socioeconomic development; they look forward to a better future of Xinjiang.

Practice is the only way to judge the truth. In recent years, social stability and economic prosperity have demonstrated the result of social governance in Xinjiang. People here live in peace and contentment; they enjoy peaceful social order, economic boom, cultural prosperity, and religious harmony…. These are the huge refutation of Pompeo’s “lie of the century”.

Despite dog’s barking, the caravan keeps moving on. Pompeo, who is known for spreading “political farce” and “political virus”, is an incurable liar. His ugly behavior and sinister character will be discarded by the world someday.